Many industries use pipes or pipe lines for conveying liquids and gases. Leaks that occur in such pipes or pipe lines generally take two forms, holes and longitudinally extending splits or cracks, with it being unusual for diagonal or transverse splits to occur.
A number of different types of pipe patching clamps have been developed for use by industry in repairing leaks in pipe lines while such pipe lines remain in service, the most common type incorporating a stainless steel strap or clamp with two cast iron dogs that hold a cinching bolt. A circular rubber disc or piece of rolled rubber is placed over the leak and the clamp is then cinched tightly thereover. Among other disadvantages, since the clamp is metallic, it could produce a spark when contacting the metallic pipe, which could be very dangerous if working with gas lines, for example, and, as well, is subject to deterioration by corrosion.
Other types of pipe clamps are known, such as those described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 1,928,570; 2,009,046; 2,977,995; 3,151,631; and 3,432,188. However, these and the other types of pipe clamps that are known are complex, costly, inconvenient to use, can only be used to repair holes or splits but not both, or present metal-to-metal connections with the accompanying corrosion problem.